What Are Nofollow Links And How Nofollow Links Affect SEO?

When it comes to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), there’s a lot of jargon that can make anyone’s head spin. One of the most important concepts that often trips people up is the difference between nofollow links and dofollow links. If you’re looking to boost your website’s visibility, understanding what are nofollow links and how nofollow links affect SEO can give you an edge over your competition.

But let’s break it down in simple, human terms. Imagine you’re at a party, and someone introduces you to a well-known guest. If that person vouches for you, your reputation at the party skyrockets. However, if they say, “Hey, I know them, but I’m not endorsing them,” you don’t get the same social boost. Nofollow links are like that: they’re not giving you the “reputation boost” for search engines.

In this article, we’ll dive deep into what are nofollow links and how nofollow links affect SEO. We’ll also look at why they matter, how they’re used, and what are the benefits of nofollow links. Ready? Let’s get started!

What Are Nofollow Links?

So, what are nofollow links? A nofollow link is a type of hyperlink that includes a special tag in its HTML code: rel="nofollow". This tag tells search engines, “Hey, don’t follow this link,” meaning the linked website doesn’t receive any SEO value or link juice.

When you create a link on your website, you can choose whether or not you want it to pass on SEO power. Links without the nofollow attribute are known as dofollow links, and they help the destination site rank better in search engine results.

The Origin of Nofollow Links

Google first introduced the nofollow tag in 2005. Back then, the internet was becoming overrun with spammy links in blog comments, forum posts, and other user-generated content. These spammy links tried to trick search engines into ranking irrelevant or low-quality websites higher than they deserved.

By introducing nofollow links, Google gave webmasters a tool to protect their websites from being associated with this kind of spam. If someone added a spammy comment with a link on your blog, for example, you could make that link a nofollow to ensure that your site wouldn’t pass any link authority to the spammer’s site.

Dofollow vs. Nofollow: What’s the Difference?

The main difference between dofollow and nofollow links is whether or not they pass on SEO value.

Dofollow links (which don’t include the rel="nofollow" tag) tell search engines, “I trust this site.” This sends link juice from your site to the destination site, boosting its authority in search rankings.
Nofollow links, on the other hand, are like saying, “I’m not vouching for this site.” Search engines may still visit the destination, but they won’t give it any SEO credit.

If you’ve ever wondered, “What is a do follow link in SEO?”, it’s simply a link that does pass authority, which helps the destination website’s SEO. In contrast, nofollow links don’t pass that authority—but that doesn’t mean they’re useless!

How Do Nofollow Links Affect SEO?

“What Are Nofollow Links And How Nofollow Links Affect SEO?”.Here’s where things get interesting. The nofollow attribute signals to search engines not to pass PageRank to the linked site. However, while nofollow links might not directly boost your rankings, they still play an important role in your overall SEO strategy.

Let’s break it down: “What Are Nofollow Links And How Nofollow Links Affect SEO?”

1. Boost Website Traffic

Even though nofollow links don’t pass SEO value, they can still drive traffic to your website. For example, imagine your site is mentioned in a high-authority news outlet with a nofollow link. Even though that link won’t improve your rankings, the sheer number of visitors clicking on it can increase your exposure and bring potential customers to your page.

2. Build Brand Awareness

Sometimes, a nofollow link on a popular website can lead to brand awareness. Even if search engines don’t count the link as an endorsement, human visitors might click on it, learn more about your brand, and share it with others. This organic exposure can lead to more dofollow links down the line, ultimately boosting your SEO.

3. Diversify Your Backlink Profile

A natural-looking backlink profile is key to staying on the right side of Google’s SEO algorithms. Having a mix of dofollow and nofollow links ensures that your backlinks look natural, which is crucial for avoiding penalties. In fact, search engines expect to see a balance of both, as a site with only dofollow links might look suspicious or manipulative.

When Should You Use Nofollow Links?

So, when should you use nofollow links on your site? There are several situations where a nofollow is the right call:

1. User-Generated Content

If you allow comments on your blog or have a forum, you know how quickly spammers can drop links. By making those links nofollow, you prevent search engines from passing any link authority to those sketchy sites, protecting your own reputation.

2. Paid or Sponsored Content

Google is very clear that paid links should always be nofollow. If you’ve received money, free products, or any other compensation in exchange for a link, it’s essential to add the nofollow attribute to avoid penalties from search engines.

3. Low-Quality Websites

Sometimes, you’ll want to link to a source that isn’t particularly reputable. By using a nofollow link, you ensure that your site doesn’t pass authority to a low-quality site that might hurt your SEO.

How to Check if a Link is Nofollow

Not sure if a link is nofollow? Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to check:

Open the webpage with the link you want to inspect.
Right-click on the link and select “Inspect” or “Inspect element.”
Look for the HTML code of the link.
If you see rel="nofollow" in the code, it’s a nofollow link.

How to Create Nofollow Links

Creating a nofollow link is simple. Here’s a quick guide to help you:

In your HTML code, locate the anchor tag <a> for the link you want to make nofollow.
Add the rel="nofollow" attribute to the tag. For example:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Click Here</a>

Save the changes, and your link will now be a nofollow link!

Common Misconceptions About Nofollow Links

There are a lot of myths floating around about “What Are Nofollow Links And How Nofollow Links Affect SEO?”. Let’s clear up some of the biggest misconceptions:

Myth 1: Nofollow Links Are Useless

While it’s true that nofollow links don’t pass SEO authority, they’re far from useless. They can drive traffic, increase brand visibility, and diversify your backlink profile, all of which are critical for long-term SEO success.

Myth 2: Nofollow Links Can Hurt Your SEO

Now the question is “What Are Nofollow Links And How Nofollow Links Affect SEO?. This is a common fear, but it’s unfounded. Nofollow links don’t harm your site’s rankings. In fact, they can help protect you from spammy or irrelevant content by not associating your site with low-quality links.

The Future of Nofollow Links in SEO

As search engines continue to evolve, the role of nofollow links is likely to change. Google now treats nofollow tags as a “hint” rather than a directive. This means that, in some cases, nofollow links might still influence rankings, although the exact impact remains unclear.

Keeping up with SEO trends is essential to ensure you’re using nofollow links correctly and benefiting from their indirect effects.

Best Practices for Using Nofollow Links

When deciding between nofollow and dofollow links, it’s essential to strike a balance. Too many nofollow links can limit your authority growth, while too many dofollow links can appear unnatural to search engines. The key is to diversify and use nofollow where appropriate.

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding what are nofollow links and how nofollow links affect SEO is crucial for anyone looking to improve their website’s performance. While nofollow links may not directly boost rankings, their ability to drive traffic, build brand awareness, and diversify your backlink profile makes them a valuable asset in any SEO strategy. By using nofollow links wisely—whether in user-generated content, paid advertisements, or when linking to low-quality sites—you can safeguard your website’s reputation while still reaping the benefits of a balanced, natural backlink profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to check nofollow links?

To check if a link is a nofollow link, follow these steps:

1. Open the webpage where the link is located.
2. Right-click on the link and choose “Inspect” or “Inspect element,” depending on your browser. This will open the developer console.
3. In the HTML code, find the link’s <a> tag. If you see the attribute rel="nofollow", then it is a nofollow link.

Alternatively, you can use browser extensions like SEOquake or MozBar, which highlight nofollow links directly on the page, making it easier to spot them without checking the code manually.

2. How to create a nofollow link?

Creating a nofollow link is straightforward. Here’s how you do it:

1. In your HTML editor, find the anchor tag (<a>) for the link you want to modify.
2. Add the rel="nofollow" attribute inside the anchor tag. It should look like this:

html
<ahref=”https://example.com”rel=”nofollow”>Click Here</a>

3. Save your changes and the link will now be a nofollow.

This method ensures that search engines won’t pass any link equity or SEO value to the destination site.

3. How do I fix nofollow links?

If you have links that are marked as nofollow but you want to turn them into dofollow (so they pass SEO value), follow these steps:
1. Locate the link in your HTML or content editor.
2. Remove the rel="nofollow" attribute from the <a> tag, like this:

html
<ahref=”https://example.com”>Click Here</a>

3. Save your changes.

If you want certain links to pass SEO juice (for example, when linking to high-authority or trusted sites), turning them into dofollow links is a good move.

4. Do nofollow links have value?

Yes, nofollow links still have value despite not passing SEO authority. Here are a few ways they provide value:

1. Traffic Generation: Users can still click on nofollow links, which means they can drive valuable traffic to your website.
2. Brand Awareness: Being linked from high-profile websites, even with nofollow, increases visibility and credibility.
3. Diverse Backlink Profile: Search engines prefer a natural mix of dofollow and nofollow links, and having only dofollow links can look suspicious.

In short, nofollow links are valuable for traffic, visibility, and maintaining a balanced SEO strategy.

5. Do nofollow links affect SEO?

Nofollow links don’t directly affect your website’s rankings because they don’t pass link authority or PageRank. However, they can indirectly impact your SEO in the following ways:

1. Referral Traffic: Nofollow links from authoritative websites can still drive users to your site, leading to increased visits and potential conversions.
2. Natural Backlink Profile: A mix of nofollow and dofollow links makes your backlink profile look more natural to search engines, reducing the risk of being flagged for spammy practices.

So, while they don’t directly boost rankings, they play an indirect role in supporting a healthy SEO strategy.

6. Do Nofollow Links Hurt My Site?

No, nofollow links do not hurt your website. In fact, using them correctly can protect your site from being associated with low-quality or spammy websites. Nofollow links ensure that you’re not passing any unwanted SEO authority to potentially harmful sites.

They can also help you avoid penalties from search engines, especially if you’re linking to paid or sponsored content, where Google expects a nofollow attribute to be used.

7. What is a dofollow link in SEO?

A dofollow link is a hyperlink that passes SEO value from one website to another. Unlike nofollow links, dofollow links are not tagged with the rel="nofollow" attribute, which means search engines will follow these links and transfer link equity (also called link juice) to the destination site.

These links are crucial for boosting PageRank and improving search engine rankings for the linked website.

8. Do backlinks affect SEO?

Yes, backlinks play a significant role in SEO. When other websites link back to your site, search engines view this as a signal that your content is trustworthy and authoritative. This can improve your website’s ranking in search engine results.

However, the quality of backlinks matters. Backlinks from high-authority websites carry more weight than those from low-quality or spammy sites. Additionally, having a mix of dofollow and nofollow links creates a more natural backlink profile, which is favored by search engines.

9. Do anchor links affect SEO?

Yes, anchor links (the clickable text in a hyperlink) can affect SEO. Search engines use anchor text to understand the content of the linked page. If your anchor text is relevant to the linked content, it can help search engines better index and rank the page.

However, using exact-match anchor text too often can raise red flags for search engines, potentially leading to penalties for over-optimization. It’s best to use varied and natural anchor text in your internal and external links.

10. Can Nofollow Links Help My Traffic?

Absolutely! Even though nofollow links don’t directly impact SEO rankings, they can still drive valuable traffic to your website. When your link appears on a high-traffic site, readers can click through to your site, increasing your visits and potentially converting into customers.

For example, if a popular blog mentions your website with a nofollow link, the exposure alone could lead to a spike in traffic, improving your site’s overall visibility.

11. When should I use nofollow links?

You should use nofollow links in the following situations:

1. User-Generated Content: If you have a blog with a comments section or a forum, it’s wise to make user-generated links nofollow to avoid spam or low-quality links.
2. Paid or Sponsored Links: Google requires that all paid or sponsored links be marked as nofollow to prevent manipulating search rankings.
3. Untrustworthy or Low-Quality Sites: If you’re linking to a site that isn’t very reputable, it’s a good idea to use a nofollow link to protect your site’s SEO authority.

Nofollow links give you more control over which websites benefit from your link authority.

12. What are the benefits of nofollow links?

There are several benefits of nofollow links:

1. Protection from spam: Nofollow links prevent your site from passing authority to spammy or low-quality websites.
2. Traffic generation: Nofollow links can still drive traffic to your site, even if they don’t boost your search engine rankings.
3. Natural backlink profile: Having a mix of dofollow and nofollow links makes your backlink profile look more natural to search engines, helping you avoid penalties.

Nofollow links are an essential part of maintaining a balanced, effective SEO strategy.

13. What is the difference between Noindex and nofollow?

The noindex tag and the nofollow tag serve different purposes:

1. Noindex: This tag tells search engines not to index a specific page, meaning the page will not appear in search results. It’s useful for pages that you don’t want to be publicly accessible via search engines (e.g., a thank-you page after a purchase).
2. Nofollow: This tag is applied to individual links and tells search engines not to follow the link to the destination site. It prevents passing link equity to the linked page but doesn’t stop the page from being indexed.

Both serve distinct functions in managing how search engines interact with your content.

Here are some more articles recommended for you:

How To Check For Keyword Cannibalization

The Importance Of Backlink Quality Over Quantity: A Comprehensive Guide

Lorena Piadopo

Lorena V. Piadopo, Technical SEO Specialist Manager and our esteemed content writing author at Beyond SEO. She brings over seven years of experience in Technical SEO to executive and operations team. She ensures that the team stays organized and projects run smoothly and on time. Outside of work, She cherishes family time, enjoys cooking, swimming and loves being in nature.